Playing with Fire
by Caterina Sforza
Summary: AU. Mimi Tachikawa doesn't know what she's getting herself into when all the most powerful demons are after her. In a world ruled by demons, all's fair in love and war. [Mimato.Taiora.Takari.Kenyako]
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone I know I shouldn't be starting another story so soon but I'm motivated enough to finish this story. I had to write this one because I've had this idea for it for sometime but was too lazy to start it. It'll probably be about twenty or so chapters so I'll have to see on how well it does and how many reviews I get so whatever you do don't forget to review! I've always wanted to do a story like this so I hope its good enough! Rating might go up later I don't know so we'll have to see because it depends on what you want. So here it is… the beginning to Playing with Fire!

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon (otherwise things would be so different)

Prologue:

_In the year 2079, the world was at war. All the major super powers picked up their weapons and piled up their armaments to take place in the most explosive war in the history of planet earth. The casualties were worse than World War I and II put together. Such immense hatred had never been seen before as everyone just butchered and massacred everyone who wasn't "one of them." There was no mercy and neither of the sides that partook in the war was willing to back down and attempt to make peace. Years of fighting passed by, the cause of this bitter war almost forgotten. Major cities that were once bustling metropolitans were now empty and everyone had fled to the countryside, scared that if too many people were in one place they would all die. The suffering was terrible and the population of the human race deflated at a terrifying rate. Soon people just lost the will to live and let them selves go, hoping that they would move onto a better place. Nobody that lived on earth could say that they recognized it, it had changed so much. Innocent blood was being spilt everywhere and soldiers with no choice in what they had to do continue the killing, no one was safe from the anger and bitterness._

_In the last few years of the war, the resentment and red-hot hatred that the people of various countries felt towards their corrupt governors united them all. They weren't a very large majority however because there were many who believed that the war was right and the causes were good. They controlled the troubled masses with a swift and firm hand that dealt out punishment quickly to anyone who dared to speak out. So the people lived in fear, anger and oppression, their voices stifled by the never-changing smog of war. A small group of people soon formed an alliance, an underground movement to usurp the tyrants that held the fate of their countries in his or her hands. The movement was multi-ethnic mostly grouping in mainly neutral countries under the noses of the ruling governments there though there were many in the main countries that were responsible for the years of torture and oppression. The rebels had heard of the movement from "friends" and "relatives" who still lived across their borders. Neutral countries held a lot of refugees because many "foreigners" had been kicked out of the countries that they had come to call home. The refugees, angry bitter and homeless, had eagerly signed up for the rebellion because they had virtually no hope of reaching any other country. _

_The rebellion was very successful, nobody knew how they did it but many world leaders turned up dead found in shallow graves or face up in polluted rivers with their throats slit. _

_The taste of success didn't last for very long because no matter how many power hungry tyrants they killed, there was always another one to take the place of the last one. The rebels were getting desperate, they needed to stop the war or it would be too late. The face of the earth was already utterly unrecognizable from the beauty it used to hold, the world was beyond repair but there was a small ray of hope that people would stop dying. So came their last resort, the most unlikely thing to do and they would be cursed for ages to come but they were desperate. The risks were high but they had to work fast or the consequences would be even worse. Meanwhile the governments were getting restless, the war was going on for longer than they expected and they had almost exhausted their resources. Their people were starving; there was a famine and a water shortage, plagues were spreading so they too decided to play their most desperate card. The decision would be costly and millions would die but this was their one chance that the war would stop and they were going to take it. _

_Of course many countries had nuclear weapons at the time but only one group of allies decided to use them. Everyone else didn't want a nuclear war because that would destroy everything and it would continue to affect people for generations. Everyone feared its awesome power and the death and destruction that it left in its wake. Many would die but the selfish and proud rulers went ahead with the plan fearing that they had no other choice; they had truly believed that this would end the war. But it didn't, the other sides were furious and so were the rebels so they retaliated. The war went into a nuclear phase and it didn't stop it just got worse, causing countless deaths and devastation that shocked the watching world. It was certain that no one was safe and everyone was doomed, many people thought that it was the end of the world as we know it._

_Meanwhile something ancient and evil stirred in the deep depths of the earth, they had been sleeping for thousands of years, locked away and waiting for something to wake them up so they could once again wreak havoc upon the creatures that locked them away in the first place, the creatures they detested. They had been sleeping in the beginning and the middle of the war but the first nuclear attack had woken them up. They pounded on their cages and yelled to the outside so they could be free, but their cries went unheard. The rebel's anger had reached its maximum so they pushed their plan into action._

_They had found an ancient and dark book that held many secrets. At first many had been skeptical about the use of the book but in the end decided to try it out, what did they have to lose? The book spoke of terrible creatures_ _that had once stalked the earth with a most terrible and awesome power. They were evil beyond anything that the rebels and the world would have ever seen and could decimate an entire country with a snap of their fingers. It spoke of how they were trapped underground, forced there by a final resistance from the humans that they had kept around for food, entertainment and as slaves for centuries. It spoke of how they took all the magic of the earth with them leaving behind only a little that the world had seen in the hands of only a few magical people. It spoke of how they were bidding their time for vengeance on the human race but would obey any human who freed them and if their masters wished it, go back to the place from where the came from. It also spoke of seemingly how to control them… so with their minds made up, the rebels began the summoning. _

_They called these creatures forth from their dark prisons, blindly reaching forth for the only hope that the war would end. With such power on the rebel's side they could make any demands that they wanted and everyone would have no choice but to listen. The rebels uttered the final incantation that would cause what bound the creatures to deteriorate. They were free… the rebel leaders, the ones who had summoned them, were in a circle in an old air raid bunker. The age-old creatures rose from the ground, they were human-like but were perfect, not a single human flaw, like a sculptor had carved their features perfectly. It was a trap, the demons were waiting for anyone foolish enough to wake them up and with wicked grins they killed every human present in the room before breathing their long-awaited breaths of Earth's air. They swooped out of the bunker, ready to create hell on earth. The war ended and the next nightmare began._

Chapter 1

"Hikari!" called a beautiful girl with short carrot coloured hair, "Hikari! Where the hell are you?" she stomped past a small number of doors lined up in a dark, narrow hallway. The only light the dim corridor offered was a small flickering tube light that gave the surroundings a depressing atmosphere. Sora Takenouchi wore baggy army-print pants held up on her slim waist by a chunky black belt. She had a snug orange halter top on that showed off her tanned stomach and her belly piercing. Her orange hair was uncombed and reached her shoulders. She stalked past a closet with her black combat boots and swung the door open with a creak. She grabbed an enormous black sweatshirt that fell down to her knees and tugged it on before rolling the sleeves up her arms. She narrowed her ruby eyes at the door next to the closet. She gave herself a quick once over, making sure she looked as unattractive as possible but frowned at her reflection. Her beautiful tanned skin, slim yet slightly curvy build and her perfect features made her a prime target for demons. With her lithe and curvy frame covered by the huge sweatshirt, she relaxed slightly. She stomped to the door next to the closet, tugged it open and yelled, "Hikari!"

A crumpled form covered by a pile of raggedy blankets let out a small groan and looked out, a cute tanned face peeked out. Sora tugged the blankets off Hikari Yagami causing her to shiver and grope for the blankets to cover her exposed figure. "Sora stop that!" shrieked Hikari leaping up from the bed wearing a blue camisole and baggy white shorts, "It's so cold and I was sleeping! Couldn't you have woken Mimi up first?"

"You know how much trouble it takes to wake that wretched girl up so I need all the help I can get! We have to work earlier today morning so I thought we could be up earlier and relax for a bit before going to work so hurry up and get dressed," ordered Sora.

"Yes mom," teased Hikari. She reached out to open her closet but Sora caught her wrist and gave her a deep frown. She pointed at the window, the blinds were up. "Why were you sleeping with the blinds up? Please do not tell me that you got dressed for bed with the blinds up too!" asked Sora angrily before hurrying to the window and tugging the blinds down.

"I forgot, geez Sora can't you cut me some slack for once?" asked Hikari rolling her eyes.

"No I can't! Hikari you know what will happen if even a single demon sees you! You're too pretty to be this careless, we can't lose you! You know what they'll do to you if they catch you," said Sora raising her voice slightly.

"Now you're taking the paranoid thing too far Sora," laughed a gorgeous girl who was leaning against the door frame. She flashed the girls a dazzling grin with her perfect teeth. Her long chestnut brown hair cascaded down her back, curling softly at the end. She had multiple piercings in each ear that slightly spoiled her angelic appearance. Her cinnamon eyes twinkled with mirth as she casually crossed the room, rubbing one hand up and down her porcelain skin. Hikari laughed at Mimi Tachikawa's comment and began to pull her clothes out of her closet.

"Cover yourself up right this instant Mimi! They could be watching and they would be upon you like vultures if they saw you like this! Why don't you two ever listen to me?" hissed Sora gesturing wildly at Mimi's lacy pink top and her slim blue jeans that hugged her every curve. Mimi just rolled her eyes and replied insolently to the older girl, "Why would they be watching us if they have their perfect demon girlfriends?"

She stomped angrily down the corridor and returned a few seconds later covered by a huge army surplus trench coat. "How come you're up so early Mimi?" called Hikari as she rummaged about collecting the things she needed for the bathroom. She grinned at Mimi and her chocolate brown eyes held warmth and comfort and her small eyebrow piercing also showed that she was no angel either.

"You both were yelling so loudly that you woke me up and I just felt like getting an early start today," said Mimi sulkily.

Hikari smirked and headed out of her bedroom and down the hallway to the common bathroom they shared, there was another one but that was near the kitchen. Mimi fell back onto the bed and scowled at the dirty ceiling. Hikari and Sora had painted the room yellow in an attempt to make the atmosphere more cheerful but had failed miserably; nothing could be made to seem remotely cheerful in this horrible place. Sora joined Mimi on the bed before squishing a cockroach that was scuttling across the floor. Mimi sighed deeply and glared at her depressing and unhealthy surroundings, she hated it here in this horrible disgusting city. Almost everything was filthy and polluted and humans suffered, they were slaves to the demons that ruled the city and very often many human girls just disappeared. Mimi was just happy she had Sora and Hikari with her.

"What's wrong hun?" asked Sora softly.

"I hate it here!" sniffed Mimi.

"I know, I hate it here too but we have to stick it out, you know I've been saving up for tickets out of here. I think we should be able to leave as soon as Taichi gets back," said Sora forcing a smile onto her face.

"He's been gone a long time hasn't he? Do you think he'll be okay?" whispered Mimi.

"Yes he has but I'm sure he's okay. You know how he is, he always has to jump head first into every situation and he just has to be doing something dangerous. His stupid ways always get him into trouble but fortunately being stupid and pig headed isn't all that he is, he always manages to get out of trouble too so he'll be okay," said Sora, this time her smile turning real.

"Why'd they have to be here? I mean can't they leave us alone? I hate this, this constant fear and paranoia! I can't even dress normally without having to wear this horrible trench coat, smudge eye-liner all over my face and not comb my hair for days! I didn't even get the proper childhood I thought I'd get when the war got over, you know like the ones they always show on T.V where the girl gets amazing clothes, a cute boyfriend and lives happily ever after! The only parties I ever got to go for were at those stupid clubs where everyone gets drunk and tries to hit on you! And half the time demons crash those so we have to spend the rest of the night hiding under tables and behind the bar. Those stupid jackass demons! They already have their stupid perfect demon girlfriends so why do they have to make our lives living hell!" wailed Mimi close to tears.

"Oh Mimi, don't worry we'll leave this place as soon as possible and we'll never come back okay? And I promise there will be no eyeliner and trench coats! So cheer up okay belle? We have to leave in an hour so we can chill for a bit but we have to leave on time this time because this is our last chance so no dawdling like you usually do got it?" said soothingly pulling Mimi into a hug. They lay back on the bad in silence just thinking waiting for Hikari to come out of the bathroom. She entered the room wearing a red and white stripped tank top and baggy black pants. She flopped down on the bed hitting Mimi with droplets form her wet short dark brown hair. She tugged on a gigantic black zip up hoody that like Sora's sweatshirt fell to her knees. Mimi thwacked her with a pillow to which Hikari couldn't help but hit her back; no one turns down a pillow fight challenge. Soon Sora had joined in and loud squeals and laughter erupt from the three friends.

After the pillow fight the girls slumped down onto the bed, grinned at each other and curled up comfortably, each grabbing their own thing to do. Mimi grabbed an old magazine from under Hikari's bed, ignoring the other things under her bed that she just didn't want to know what they were. She began to thumb trough the magazine that Hikari had bought from a second hand bookstore, wrinkling her nose at the stained and yellowing pages. Hikari began to paint her nails while Sora took her nap. Mimi and Hikari chatted and laughed until Mimi finished flipping through the magazine. She glanced up at Hikari's round Mickey Mouse clock that her parents had given her when she was young. She had always had it with her and brought it along to every new apartment that they had been forced to move into. The arms of the clock kept getting stuck but all the girls loved it. It was like symbol of hope and a slightly happier past and it made Mimi smile every time she looked at that goofy mouse's face. She grinned at the clock but her short-lived happiness turned to panic as she leapt up from Hikari's bed, knocking over Hikari's nail polish. The bottle cracked and caused the nail polish to leak out forming a bright red pool on the ground.

"Great, another one bites the dust," joked Hikari.

She picked up the empty bottle, pulled up the blinds and leaned out of the window to chuck the empty bottle into the trash heap that was just below her window. "Just what I needed, now I have stains of all the colours of the rainbow," she muttered.

"Stop fooling around!" cried Mimi as she tugged on Hikari's arm before roughly shaking Sora awake, "hurry up, we're going to be late for work!"

"Oh my god!" yelled Sora jolting awake, "hurry up, we can't afford to be late again!" she sprinted out the door and disappeared down the corridor. Hikari and Mimi cracked up before hearing Sora's angry yelling. They ran out of the room stopping at the hall closet so Mimi could grab a pair of all-stars and Hikari could grab her black sketchers. They ran to the end of the corridor, ignoring the spider that was spinning a web in one corner of the wall. Hikari pulled the door open and stepped into their living-dining-kitchen area. Sora was in the part of the room that was assigned to the kitchen and was rummaging in the almost empty cupboards and spraying everything that resembled a bug with a can of bug-spray.

"You know, I think we can die if we eat anything that's been sprayed with that," drawled Mimi lazily from the faded yellow couch that sat in the middle of the room causing Sora to glare at her from over the dusty kitchen counter. "We need to go on a cleaning and bug-eradicating campaign tomorrow because I don't feel like doing it today," called Sora causing Mimi to make a face.

Sora tossed Hikari who was sitting on a matching arm chair with one leg dangling on an arm and Mimi two granola bars that they was pretty sure had almost reached it's expiry date and added, "we also need to go grocery shopping and get a replacement for the bulb in the hallway."

They both groaned at Sora but they loved her for her motherly ways; they truly didn't know how they would survive without her. They knew they could always count on her and trust her and she would always give them a shoulder to cry on and one to lean on. She had found this apartment and all their previous ones for them, without her they would probably be living on the streets. She was everything to them, a sister, a mother and a best friend.

She grabbed a granola bar for herself and pulled them up from their places on the furniture. They all squished their faces together in front of a small round mirror and passed around a bottle of eyeliner that they used to smudge onto their faces. Even though their baggy clothes hid their shapely forms, their hair was in complete messes and their faces were smudged with make up almost anyone could tell that they were still beautiful. Even though Hikari and Mimi teased Sora about being paranoid they knew she was right. If any demon saw them and liked them then they would be taken away, used and then killed. Girls didn't survive long in this city especially ones like them so they took these measures that Sora's mother had thought her so they managed to last so long without being noticed.

Mimi turned the collar of her trench coat up and knotted a scarf around her neck. She tucked her long hair into a cap and slipped on a pair of sunglasses; her hair was the only thing she refused to change, she couldn't even think of cutting it short. Finally satisfied with herself she went to wait at the door for Hikari to zip up her hoody and pull the gigantic floppy hood low over her face and pull on her pair of shades. Sora pulled on a ski cap, tucked all her hair in and she too put on a pair of shades. They opened the multiple locks on the door and slammed it shut. Sora fumbled with the keys for a bit trying to find the right one so they could leave. She finally locked the door and after checking that the door was properly locked she bounded down the stairs with the other two following closely behind. They absolutely refused to take the graffiti and urine filled elevators.

They ignored the rude signs that were scrawled over the once white walls that now held a brilliant variety of stains so they played their favourite games: How long has that stain been there and what is that stain made of? They burst out of the lobby of their apartment building and onto the cracked pavement outside. They munched their granola bars and chatted as they dodged the deep cracks and homeless people that were curled in whatever they had with them whether it was cloth, newspaper or plastic sheets. There were slums everywhere and this city might have been a nice place once upon a time but it definitely wasn't one now. Their surroundings were bleak with ugly gray buildings everywhere and many of these buildings had been reduced to rubble. Angry words were scribbled everywhere, mainly cursing demons. Hikari frowned at the smog filled sky and the dreary weather, the sun rarely shined here. She loved sunny days and the countless other days like this made any small amount of happiness she had evapourate in a second. She put on a cheerful façade for the other two because she knew that they needed it.

No one gave the girls a second glance, there were many people dressed like them and no one wanted to attract attention here. They glanced up at the gigantic Victorian palace that stood out in the modern, drab and desolate surroundings. The demons that lived in this city resided there, living in comfort while the rest of the world suffered. Sora saw how the other two were hungrily gazing at the palace, at the luxurious decor and the comfort and food it promised so she decided to get them to converse.

"How did you two sleep last night," asked Sora slightly lamely.

"I had a dreamless sleep," answered Hikari snapping her gaze away from the palace and focusing it on Sora.

"Me too, I've been having a lot of nights like these lately," said Sora, "What about you Mimi?"

Mimi just looked at them strangely and didn't answer for a bit, she just picked a spare piece of rubble forward. "Mimi?" asked Sora gently putting a soft hand on her shoulder "are you okay sweetie?"

Mimi snapped out of her daze and said almost uncertainly, "yeah I had a dreamless sleep too."

Hikari and Sora watched her curiously, "Mimi are you sure you're okay?" asked Hikari carefully.

Mimi jerked away slightly, "Of course I'm okay!"

"Whatever you say hun," said Sora soothingly.

Mimi nodded but was slightly aloof for the rest of the walk, she didn't join in on any of the conversation or didn't give a single sign that she was even there. They reached a run down super market and entered the sticker-plastered doors. The store was devoid of any vandalism because their meticulous manager always cleaned everything up carefully, making this super market one of the choice ones. They walked to the back of the supermarket to the employee's changing rooms and removed their hats and sunglass and stuffed them in a locker. They didn't clean the makeup off their faces in case any demons walked in here looking for trouble like they had on an occasion before. The manager understood and didn't complain about their appearances and neither did the customers. They traded their gigantic over coats and huddled into shapeless, slightly faded navy blue coats that were their standard uniforms here. They walked out into the market and picked up a note at the register and stated their jobs for their shifts for today.

"You girls are late again today," came a soft voice form behind them causing them to jump in fright. They turned to face a tall lanky blue-haired man with a pair of glasses covering his deep blue eyes. He was handsome but in a bookish way, her pale skin contrasting with his navy blue uniform. He was Jyou Kido, the manager of this supermarket and the girls close friend, he was Sora's childhood friend and had a small soft spot for Mimi. His kind features were twisted into an annoyed frown.

"Jesus! Jyou you scared us! Why'd you have to be all creepy like that?" whined Mimi.

"You know I said that this was you last chance, there are so many people that would like this job so why should I still let you keep it if you wont even turn up on time?" asked Jyou calmly ignoring Mimi's comment.

"Pease Jyou, we're really sorry, please just give us one more chance! This won't happen again, I promise. Just please don't fire us, we won't be able to survive without job, we really need the money! Please don't fire us please!" begged Sora.

"Please Jyou," begged Mimi batting her eyelashes a bit.

"Come one Jyou please don't fire us," added Hikari, "this really wont happen again!"

Jyou sighed, he didn't want to admit but he had a soft spot for the three girls and they were too close to fire. "Okay fine, just one more chance and this is the last one got that? No more chances so do your work properly and don't let me catch you slacking off or I'll have another excuse to fire you three," said Jyou with a small smile.

They worked for the rest of the day and then pulled on their cover ups to go home. They reached home, giggling about completely random things, carrying their groceries and the other much needed house items. They ate their dinner of greasy fast food because no one really felt like cooking that night and went to Sora's room to watch their favourite shows on the tiny T.V in her room. They then split up to get ready for bed and soon were all asleep except for Mimi. She lay awake contemplating on whether she should have told Sora and Hikari the truth about her dreams today. She let it go and couldn't stay awake for much longer; she was too exhausted so she let herself fall asleep, knowing and fearing the fact that someone waiting for her as soon as she closed her eyes.

_Mimi was walking through a black hall with polished brown doors on either side that was always locked. She reached the end of the hall and tugged open the door at the end and there he was. A pair of azure blue eyes greeted her, the rest of his face hidden behind a blue mask but his maniacal grin was ever present. His grin turned to his infamous smirk as he took a step towards her. She backed away and called out shakily, "Who the hell are you and why do you keep turning up in my dreams? Can't you just leave me alone?"_

_The man delicately his arms up hers and pulled her towards him. He wrapped his arms around her torso and held her close protectively, like she was his and no one else can touch her. She began to trace circles on her back, she tried to pull away but she was too strong. He blew hot air into her ear and grazed his lips on her cheek. She gave a strangled gulp and struggled to pull away with all her might but was unsuccessful. _

"_Now, now pet don't be bad, just let's have some fun," he whispered seductively._

"_No! Get away from me!" she screamed trying to shove him away but suddenly his lips crashed down onto hers.  
_

A/N: so here it is! What did you think? I accept all reviews so just push the purple button! Remember to tell me what I've done wrong with it also! Who was the guy in Mimi's dream? (I think I we all know!) And what happened to Taichi? Next chapter I'll tell you all how Hikari, Sora and Mimi meet and possibly where Taichi is! Don't forget to review or I won't update and pull this story out SO REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so sorry for the amazingly long wait! I have written the next chapter but typing seems to be a problem for me, I'm always too lazy to do it! Anyway a huge hug to yum yum, mysticalruby, sophbabes, ur biggest fan, RGD, Nesha1 (Thanks so much, I love your fics), MI, Nathaniel, Yang Dragon88, KissKISSxXxBangBANG ( Thanks so much for all your reviews), K-Chan Higu, AmyngeL and especially to White Moon Princess. White Moon Princess, this chapter is for you! :D A lot of this chapter is going to a flashback so be warned! Just a note for all the Americans, football here is not American football but soccer, it's called football everywhere else in world.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

_He kissed her slowly, his tongue melding with her mouth. He wanted to taste every inch of her, he snaked his hands into her hair and pushed his mouth deeper into hers. Mimi's eyes widened with shock, what was he doing? Her breathing was becoming erratic as she tried not to respond. He pulled away tugging on her bottom lip, he needed to enjoy this; he had never kissed her before. He bent down and pressed his cold lips onto her neck and murmured, "Same time tomorrow, you taste so good."_

_He smirked and gave her a cool wink from behind his mask before releasing his hold on her arms. He gave her a penetrating stare like he could see right through her causing goose bumps to erupt on her pale skin. He backed away slowly, his azure eyes still focused on her until he dissolved into the darkness. Mimi gaped at the emptiness in front of her, she was alone. She took a step back trying to leave behind this horrible nightmare and felt a whoosh of panic in her stomach as there was suddenly no ground beneath her. She tumbled down into darkness, screaming and flailing her arms wildly. _

Mimi landed with a soft thump onto her bed and then jerked awake screaming, her blankets landing at the bottom of her bed. She took a deep breath as soon as she realised that she was safe, in the familiar surroundings of her bedroom. Her body was covered in cold sweat and she was panting as if she had just finished a marathon. She gently touched her lips, which were tingling, the dream had felt so real, she could still feel his lips moving against hers. Suddenly Sora and Hikari burst into her room, Sora wildly swinging a baseball bat.

Sora whirled the bat around the room causing Mimi to throw her self flat onto her bed to avoid getting her teeth knocked out. Sora gave her weapon of mass destruction another swing before throwing the window wide open and sticking her head out of it. She hurled abuses at everyone who passed by while they replied in earnest. Meanwhile Hikari was in front of Mimi violently shaking her and asking urgently if she was okay.

Mimi batted Hikari away and tugged Sora in, hurriedly shutting the window. She turned to them and asked loudly with exasperation, "God. What is wrong with you Sora? Why did you barge into my room like a psychopath, waving a baseball bat of all the weapons you could have chosen? I just had a bad dream so relax, the both of you!"

Sora flushed and let her bat fall limply at her side. She shuffled her toes and said, "Sorry Mimi, I just panicked, I thought someone was attacking you so we tried to get here as fast as we could."

Mimi raised her eyebrows before bristling, "I'm fine but you didn't explain why you suddenly went crazy with a baseball bat?" She sniggered and said sarcastically, "I'm sure that if I ever get attacked my attacker would be running for cover from you and your bat, oh wait I think that only my bunny slippers would do that."

Sora just grunted and muttered something unintelligible causing Mimi to smirk. Hikari rolled her eyes as the two of them and allowed her eyes to circle Mimi's room. Its pink walls were slightly brown in places and chipped but Mimi had attempted to cover that up with a multitude of posters. One side of the room had a desk covered with cases of makeup that were almost never used.

Sora glanced at her chipped watch and exclaimed hurriedly, "Oops look at the time. We need to get going or we're going to be late for work."

She hurried out of the room swinging the baseball bat at her side. Mimi met Hikari's amused look and they both burst into giggles, they both loved making fun of Sora's paranoid behavior. The laughter died down and Hikari's smile turned to a frown as if something had suddenly dawned on her. She glanced at Mimi's messy bed and asked carefully, "Are you sure you're okay Mimi because you were screaming pretty loudly. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No I'm fine Kari, you don't need to worry," said Mimi with a reassuring smile. "It's getting late and Jyou will really fire us if are late again so we should start getting ready." Hikari nodded uncertainly still throwing Mimi a concerned look before exiting the room and into their dim hallway. Mimi watched Hikari leave before shivering and wrapping her arms around herself, the dream really had felt so real. She frowned, Hikari was getting suspicious. Mimi decided to keep her dreams or nightmares as they were a secret from Hikari and Sora, at least a little while longer. Her mind wandered and she soon found herself thinking of someone she hadn't seen in years, her guardian angel, would he still protect her now or abandon her like she had abandoned him…

Meanwhile in the center of the city, in the grand Victorian palace, a demon rose from is plush, luxurious bad. A slow smirk formed on his perfect lips, humans were just so much fun to play with and this one was even more fun, the resistance that she put up to him was almost cute. She really was so pretty that he decided to play a few more games with her and then he would keep her. Her distraught face appeared in front of him, he seemed to feed off her fear, yes he would definitely have her.

* * *

Mimi grimaced at her terrible reflection in the mirror, her body once again hidden by her hideous trench coat. Sora was on her right with equal expressions of distaste as she rolled her sweatshirt sleeves up. Underneath it, she wore a white tube top and a pair of baggy khaki trousers. Mimi reached under her trench coat and adjusted her purple razor back and black hip-huggers. Her long beautiful hair was up in her cap and she covered her cinnamon eyes with her sunglasses. Hikari squeezed in next to them, hopping up and down, trying to put on her shoes. Her yellow T-shirt was covered with her black hoody with her jeans still visible. The others pulled on their various hats and glasses, gave themselves a quick once over and then hurried out of the apartment to work.

The walk to work this morning was a quiet one, no one really felt like talking. Mimi was still hung over from her dream while Sora's mind was clouded with worry for Mimi. Hikari attempted to make conversation but soon gave up after tripping on a crack mid-sentence; the other two didn't even laugh or make sarcastic comments. She was really worried about Mimi, she knew her too well not to know that something was scaring or worrying her. They always told each other everything; there wasn't much that they could hide from each other anyway. Mimi's eyes were fixed on the dull gray pavement but it clear that her mind was elsewhere.

Sora sighed deeply and glanced at Mimi, she knew that the dream Mimi had had, had shaken her up really badly. In all the time Sora had know her, Mimi had been through a lot of traumatizing events but Sora couldn't ever remember Mimi waking up from a nightmare screaming. She had woken up softly sobbing but never screaming with this intensity of fear. Sora's thoughts began to flow back to the day she first met Mimi and Hikari.

"_Mum, I'm going down the street to play football with some of the guys," said a thirteen year old Sora. Her mother looked up from the flowers she was arranging to give Sora a very reproachful look. Toshiko __Takenouchi worked as a nurse in the local hospital but loved arranging flowers because ever since the war got over, beautiful things were few and far between. She grew flowers in her garden and arranged them for the house so things would look more cheerful in these horrible depressing times. _

_Sora's father had died in the nuclear phase of the war; Sora had been born seven months later towards the end of the war. Though she hadn't been born in the beginning of the war, Sora knew what it had done just by looking at the after effects. The demons had been a result of the war and they were easily the worst. Humans even though they have a hierarchy in their own species had always ruled the animal kingdom. Humans weren't meant to live like this, it was difficult to have another species take over and now there were fewer humans than ever. Many people feared what nobody ever had before the war, they feared extinction. _

_Sora frowned at her mother, they were lucky to live in the countryside where there were no demons. Demons ruled the cities and almost nobody could leave them. It was very expensive to buy a way out and it wasn't in the demon's nature to let anything go easily. To them, the more humans they had, the more powerful they were. Humans were like possessions. They did raid villages and the countryside often to capture humans to add to their collection or simply because they wanted to kill. _

_Sora's mother was really overprotective of her but rightly so as Sora realised later. Sora was the only let out of the house very grudgingly, with a curfew and she could never dress up nicely. The only time Sora was let out without too much of a fuss was when she had to attend her tiny school and even then her mother tried to make her skip it as much as possible. This scared away the boys but there were a few of them who treated her as 'one of the guys.' Sora never had the proper childhood she had wanted and never felt like a girl._

_Sure she had friends but they never treated her as a girl, nobody even showed a slight amount of romantic feelings toward her. There were a few girls in the village but none of them wanted anything to do with her because of the way she had to dress and the way she looked. As a result of this, there was no love lost between Sora and her mother, the bitter resentment just kept piling up. Her mother sighed almost like she was disappointed and said begrudgingly, "Fine you may go but please be careful Sora."_

_Sora just rolled her eyes and replied insolently, "Mum, nothing is going to attack me so please stop worrying okay?" She didn't give her mother a chance to reply and stomped angrily out of the house. Their house was a small brick one that had a homey and cozy feel to it though it had an old bomb shelter at the bottom. They hid there during air raids in the war and in the very rare demon raids, accompanied by most of the village. They had a pretty garden that Sora's mother covered up during raids as to not draw any unwanted attention to them. Even though their village was mainly left alone, her mother was so paranoid and Sora hated it._

_She jogged down her twisting road that sloped downwards. It was truly beautiful here with the miles of greenery surrounding it covering the mountainside. To people who lived in cities, a place like this simply didn't exist anymore. Sora looked up and smiled at the sun peeking through the trees, she knew she was lucky to live in place like this, she was beyond lucky to still be alive._

_She entered the muddy field where football games would take place. A group of scruffy boys were gathered in the center of the field picking teams and arguing loudly. She slowed her jog down to a walk as she walked to the group of who mainly gave her looks of immense dislike. They hated that she, a girl, could beat most of them at this game, they weren't ready to accept that so they were extra mean to her during that game and targeted her all the time. Only three boys smiled at her, one of them with wild dark brown hair and tanned skin announced as she approached, "We get Sora."_

_She shot him a small smile and he winked back with his chocolate brown eyes. He waved his smooth hands to gesture her to join is team then he continued to choose the rest of his team from the remaining boys. Most of her teammates sneered at her, they never passed her the ball if they could help it but she didn't really care. She could get the ball all by herself and score without any of their help. _

_She faced all their sneers with a determined look on her face and decided to ignore them like they weren't worthy of her attention. She glanced at clump of grass that was near the field and was occupied by a quiet lanky fourteen-year old. His short spiky blue hair was pushed away from his face and his glasses glinted eagerly in the sun. A large book was open on his lap and seemed to be completely engrossed in it. Jyou Kido looked up from his book and caught Sora's eyes, she grinned and waved at him. He shot her a shy smile in return, Jyou and her got on very well. Jyou tended to panic and worry a lot and she was the only one who really cared enough to calm him down._

"_Okay we're done, we get to pick sides so you can't start," said a mouthy fifteen-year old. The wild haired boy nodded and called out to Sora and the rest of the team to come to the center of the field so they could go over the plan. He was easily one of the best players so to everyone he was their leader though he tended to be reckless and usually got everyone into trouble caused by his childish pranks. Those flaws were overshadowed by the fact that he was gutsy and brave and always took the fall for everyone if they got into trouble._

"_Okay what's the plan Taichi?" asked a black haired boy named Kyo who was one of the few friends that Sora had, Sora took a place next to him._

"_We pass up the front so Sora can score, Kyo and I will support her. Remember to keep a tight defence and be especially careful around Kiyasuki's power shots. I think that that's about it, any questions?" asked Taichi brightly._

"_Yes I do, do we have to pass to Sora, she's a girl!" voiced a squeaky boy._

_Taichi glared at him and then replied sarcastically, "Yes well spotted. I think that we all know that she's girl but she plays better than any of you'll." Sora looked at him hopefully, he had called her a girl and he had complimented her, could he possibly have feelings for her? Sora's hopes were dashed as Taichi continued, "and does she even look like a girl or act like one? She should be treated the same as us."_

_Sora's hopeful expression turned sour as she finally gave up, obviously nobody thought of her that way so why even bother? Taichi gave her a proud grin thinking that he had done her a favour by defending her; she gave him a fake smile which turned sour when he turned away. The game began and as per usual no boy passed to Sora except Kyo and Taichi. Everyone on the other team except her other friend Hojo targeted her when she got the ball. When she managed to score a goal nobody except Kyo, Hojo, Taichi and Jyou who looked up from his book long enough to clap for her, congratulated her. _

_Everyone wondered why she would come to play everyday if almost everyone hated her. If there was one thing Sora was, it was stubborn. She couldn't quit now and let them have the satisfaction of knowing that they got to her. She also hoped that one day she would be accepted; she had a very low self-esteem and wanted to belong somewhere. Most of all Sora loved playing football, the feeling that she got when she dribbled the ball up the field. She loved the immense satisfaction she got when she kicked that ball past the goalie and into the net, proving to those boys that she could beat them at their own game._

_The game went on with Sora leading Taichi's team to victory. The other team was furious except for her single friend on that side as they stomped off the pitch. Hojo and Taichi came running up to her, "Hey Sora, great game! Do you want us to walk you home?" asked Taichi sweetly._

"_No it's okay, I don't want to be a bother," said Sora honestly._

"_Its fine, Taichi's coming over to my house anyway so we'll be passing it," said Hojo wiping his long brown hair out of his green eye. He waved his pale hands to move Sora and Taichi along and together they strolled off the field. _

_It was a pleasant walk back until Sora tripped on a rock and fell right into a bush. She hit something hard that let out a very loud squeal as it hit Sora with its dainty wrists. A pretty girl dressed in what may have been a pristine white dress that was now brown and torn in slightly in many places, leapt up in indignation. Her dress had two thin straps covering her shoulders with the bottom of her dress billowing slightly in the wind. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled up in a messy bun with a few tendrils framing her lovely face. Her cinnamon coloured eyes blazed as she puffed herself up with anger._

_Sora took a step back, what was this strange girl doing hiding in a bush? She tried to focus on the girl's face but something fluttered on the tree that was next to the girl. Sora looked up at the tree just in time to a pair of innocent blue eyes blinking at her before they disappeared. Sora shook her head, was she going crazy? The girl let out an angry noise causing Sora to snap her eyes back to her._

"_Oh my god! I'm really sorry, I hope I didn't hurt you too badly," stuttered Sora._

_The girl sniffed huffily, "I'm fine but you should be more careful before you go blundering around like that, somebody could really get hurt."_

"_I said I was sorry," Sora started angrily._

"_Listen here you," began the girl but she didn't get a chance to finish because Hojo cleared his throat and leapt forward. He grabbed the girl's hand and looked up at her in awe, "I'm Hojo Kawasaki, I apologise for my friend's actions and her highly insensitive apology."_

"_Hey," called Sora edgily, "still here."_

"_And I must ask for your name miss," continued Hojo ignoring Sora. The girl smiled at him sweetly and said, "My name is Mimi Tachikawa and it's such a pleasure to meet a gentleman like you, Hojo Kawasaki."_

_Hojo shot Taichi a smug look and Taichi glared back as he too was enraptured by the strange girl. "I'm Sora Takenouchi and why were you in a bush, where did you come from?" shot Sora eager to get to the bottom of this and go home._

_Mimi sniffed delicately as a slow tear ran down her cheek, "They were killed in a… demon raid and I only just managed to escape so I ran and ran until I reached here. We were going to continue on but I was tired so we stopped."_

"_We?" asked Sora in confusion._

_Mimi paused looking shocked as if she had just revealed very important information, "Sorry I meant me not we, I say we sometimes because… it's the royal we! You know royalty always refers to themselves as we?" she blabbered as Sora continued to eye her suspiciously._

_She heard Taichi sigh behind her, "Sora just let her get on with her story."_

"_Well after they killed my parents they started chasing me so I had to run. They're gone now but so are my parents! I'll never see them again and now I'm all alone!"_

_Mimi began to cry as her words became incoherent; Sora's motherly instincts took over so she awkwardly put an arm around Mimi's shoulders and began to comfort her. The other two were giving her bewildered looks so Sora shrugged. She turned back to Mimi and whispered soothingly, "There, there, it's going to be alright. For all it's worth, I'm sorry for falling on you."_

"_Do you really mean it?" hiccupped Mimi._

"_Yes," said Sora. Mimi swallowed a strangled sob threw both her arms around Sora and pulled her into a hug. Sora looked up to see Taichi's shocked and Hojo's envious expressions as she heard Taichi whisper to Hojo, "Girl's really are strange aren't they?"_

_Sora shot him a glare so he immediately quieted down but Sora could understand his sentiment, a minute ago it seemed as though Mimi hated her and now she was hugging her. "Come on," said Sora softly, "I'll take you to my house and we can figure out what to do from there."_

_Mimi sniffed again and nodded, taking Sora's hand and pulling her forward, the two boys following behind. She watched as Mimi shot an angry look at the tree before focusing her eyes forward. Sora twisted her neck around just in time to see the same dubious blue eyes from before. She was itching to ask Mimi about it but she knew that now wasn't the right time plus what if those eyes didn't actually exist and she was just being crazy? She decided to keep this to herself at least until she could get some actual proof._

_Sora felt her eyes shift to Mimi; she didn't look like any of the girls she knew in the village. Her appearance was different and she looked like she had had a lot of money judging by her dress because no matter how dirty it was, anyone could tell it was expensive. Mimi's slightly huffy and snobbish attitude also proved that point but that changed when she was reminded of her parents. Sora gave Mimi a reassuring smile as the company reached the house. She spotted her mother snipping flowers from her garden and called for her to come over._

_Toshiko Takenouchi's mouth turned downwards into a frown as she tugged her gardening gloves off and approached them. She gave the two boys withering looks causing them to look down in fear of provoking her to say something to them. Sora's mother opened her mouth to speak but stopped short when she spotted Mimi, her eyes widened in surprise because Sora had never brought home a girl before. She smiled pleasantly at Mimi, "Hello, are you a friend of Sora's? What's your name dear?" _

"_Mimi Tachikawa," said Mimi determinedly drying her eyes, "and I"_

"_Her village was attacked by demons and she lost everything even her family. She was running from them and ended up here. We found her now so can we go inside," said Sora hurriedly grabbing Mimi by the arm and dragging her down the pathway. He watched as her mother shot her triumphant look as if to say, look this is what's going to happen to you if you aren't careful. The two boys attempted to follow Sora and Mimi in but Toshiko gave them a glare to which they took as their signal to leave. They dashed down the path, yelling goodbyes to Sora, Mimi and Sora's mother. _

_Sora pulled Mimi into a dark room and switched on the lights to reveal a tiny kitchen with huge copper pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. Mimi glanced around the kitchen, wrinkling her nose and said, "Well, it's quaint."_

"_Oh and you're used to something bigger?" asked Sora slightly acidly._

"_Yes and for your information I lived in the Fujima village," replied Mimi snottily._

"_The Fujima village?" gasped Sora and then blurted out, "No wonder you look so rich!"_

_Mimi laughed at the last remark but then her expression saddened as she whispered, "yes we were rich but our deal with the devil didn't save my village from being murdered by them. You can never trust demons, ever."_

_She collapsed into a sobbing heap causing Sora to drop down to her knees to whisper comforting words into her ear. "Why are you being so nice to me, I've been so mean to you and I'm causing you so much trouble," wailed Mimi wringing her hands._

"_Its okay Mimi, it's no trouble to us at all and you can also stay with us from now on if you want?" said Sora. _

_Mimi looked up hopefully and nodded before letting out a happy squeal, "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me."_

_Sora smiled and gave Mimi a hand to help her off the ground. "By the way what was the other boy's name? You know the one with the lots of wild hair?" asked Mimi trying to sound casual. _

"_Why do you like him?" asked Sora a little too quickly._

_Mimi began to laugh, "Don't worry Sora, I'll stay away from him plus I like the other one better, what was his name again? Hojo Kawasaki right?"_

"_I do not like him!" insisted Sora._

"_The why are you blushing and why won't you give me his name?" questioned Mimi sniggering._

"_I am not blushing," said Sora turning even redder, "and his name is Taichi Yagami!"_

"_Taichi Yagami huh?" pondered Mimi._

"_Are you sure that you don't like him?" asked Sora, her blush deepening._

"_Yes he's all yours," smirked Mimi._

"_I do not like that lunk head!" yelled Sora trying to hide her crimson face._

"_Typical denial," said Mimi shaking her head condescendingly. _

"_I do not like him," said Sora exasperatedly. "So you like Hojo then," she continued, trying to change the subject._

"_I guess so, he was really sweet to me and he's really cute," started Mimi but then breaking off with a wide grin, "you're trying to change the subject, aren't you?"_

"_Arghh!" gnashed Sora, "I do not like him!"_

"_Do not like who?" asked Sora's mother walking through the kitchen door. Sora sighed and shot Mimi a glare, "no one mum."_

_Toshiko shrugged though was a little hurt, "Okay honey," she turned to Mimi, "I'm afraid that there's no space so do you mind sharing a room with Sora?"_

"_No of course not Mrs. Takenouchi, Thank you so much for your hospitality," answered Mimi politely. Sora just rolled her eyes and tugged on Mimi's hand, "Come on, I'll show you my room."_

_Mimi followed her up a rickety staircase that always made Sora feel that she would fall right through it. Sora looked at Mimi who was drinking in the appearance of Sora's house with wide eyes; she obviously had never seen a house like this before. Her eyes softened marginally as her eyes traveled over the colourful flower arrangements that decorated the house. "They're beautiful," said Mimi simply pointing at one of carnations, lilies and baby's breath._

_They padded softly on the wooden floor and opened a door leading to a closet-like room. There was a steel double bed on one side of the room with a single mattress with orange bed spreads. The walls were white with a closet taking up one side of the room and a thread bare carpet covering the floor. One part of the room had a bookshelf with books of various sizes, some covered with dust and on the top of the shelf was a collection of dolls that were in pristine condition having never been played with much. _

_She had a music system with a row of CDs next it and an old model of a computer on a desk, which managed to make the room look very crowded and cluttered. Her walls were covered with drawings that she had done during her childhood, which her mother had stuck up with blue tack, they had brown spots on them and were slightly frayed around the edges. _

_There were also posters of football teams and players that demons now owned. They were delighted to find that during their long absence from this planet that humans had managed to create so many forms of entertainment. They loved betting on various sport teams for very high stakes. As a result of this, many of the losing team players went missing. Not many people played sports anymore but demons would occasionally catch people playing and recruit them to their teams. Sora and the rest of the boys completely ignored the fact that if there weren't enough players in the demons teams then they would scout schools and colleges to hold try outs. They would kill anyone playing badly to motivate everyone into playing their best. _

_Mimi glanced around the room with an odd expression on her face then let out a loud squeal and flopped onto the bed, which creaked dangerously. Sora stared at Mimi in amazement, she had expected snide comments but Mimi just began to walk around the room with the utmost delicacy, touching the posters and drawings gently. Sora almost felt too embarrassed to Show Mimi her room because she had heard of the Fujima village and was all too aware of the riches Mimi lived in. Mimi turned to face Sora and spoke with a wild giggle, "I love your room, it's so normal!"_

_Sora just stared at the ecstatic girl with a bewildered look on her face. Mimi then dashed to Sora's closet and yanked it open with a wide grin on her pretty face but her expression soon darkened. "Um," began Mimi timidly, "I won't have to share clothes with you right?" _

_Sora glanced down at her baggy football shorts and her large muddy blue T-shirt and laughed, "No I don't think so, I'm sure that we can find something else for you."_

_Mimi's face fell even further, "Are you sure that that's okay? I mean, conditions for you and your mother aren't exactly good so won't it be difficult to have an extra mouth to feed?"_

_Sora frowned, "I'm sure we can manage, if not then you can get a job."_

"_A job!?" shrieked Mimi in horror._

_Sora nodded in amusement, "Yes, a job."_

_Mimi fell back onto the bed and after a long pause said, "I can't tell you how much this means to me Sora. You have been so amazing; no one as ever treated me this way before, like a friend."_

"_What do you mean?" asked Sora joining to Mimi on the bed._

"_My parents barely let me out of the mansion, they were so over protective. They were always so paranoid so they had body guards follow me everywhere. That got me a lot of attention and everyone wanted to be the friend of the 'rich' Mimi Tachikawa. They were only after my money and they never acted like my friends, I definitely didn't want to be their friends. I was so alone most of the time and the only people that were like friends to me were my maids, my parents and my bodyguards. My parents were terrified of the demons though we had a deal with them but that didn't protect us in the end," finished Mimi bitterly. _

_Sora slowly slipped an arm around Mimi and said, "Well if it makes you feel any better, I never had any friends that were girls before."_

_Mimi looked up and whispered, "Thank you."_

_Sora nodded pleasantly before saying, "Let's get you out of that filthy dress." She left the bed and began to rustle through her closet and pulled out one of the few skirts she owned, a blue denim one and a pink T-shirt that someone had given her, which she also hated. She handed them to Mimi and spoke again, "I'll go outside and give you some privacy."_

_She stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. This was by far the most interesting thing that had happened to her, how would all this play out? She decided that she had given Mimi enough time to change and was about to knock on the door when she heard voices. _

"… _not safe enough here Mimi, we need to leave now!" said an insistent male voice._

"_No, I like it here, I don't need you anymore because I'll be safe here," argued Mimi._

"_I promised that I would always protect you Mimi and that's what I will do, no matter what you choose to do," growled the voice. He was about to say something more but Sora couldn't take it anymore so she burst into the room. _

_Mimi was sitting on the bed in the skirt and top staring at Sora in utter shock and fear. "Who were you talking to?" accused Sora angrily as she scanned the room anxiously but found it empty._

"_No one," she gasped guiltily, "I was just listening to a recording of my father's voice, he used to tape himself to let me know he'll be with me forever." She pulled out a really old tape recorder that Sora thought was obsolete by now. Sora wanted badly to believe Mimi but what the person had said didn't fit with Mimi's explanation and Mimi's extremely guilty expression told a completely different story._

"_Mimi," said Sora but was cut off by a loud yell from downstairs. Sora swiveled her head to the door before growling, "Let's go see what she wants."_

_Mimi nodded with a relieved expression on her face and hurried downstairs. Toshiko met them at the end of the staircase and surveyed Sora disapprovingly before saying unhappily, "You have three visitors."_

_Sora felt confused, who would visit her? She walked to the sitting room with Mimi trailing behind her and the faded brown sofas were Hojo, Taichi and a younger girl who looked vaguely familiar. She smiled at Mimi and Sora and offered up a basket of brownies, pastries and cupcakes. Her sweet smile was so infectious that they smiled back as she introduced herself to Mimi, "Hi, I'm Hikari Yagami, Taichi's sister. These are for you, when my mum heard about your predicament she sent these over for all of you."_

_Sora took the basket from Hikari with a bright smile, she remembered Hikari, she met her on only a few occasions and she always knew Taichi has a sister but never thought much of it. She hadn't seen Hikari in a few years so she turned to glance at Taichi who was sinking into the couch, his cheeks red with embarrassment._

"_It's nice to see you again Sora," said Hikari, the same sweet smile still on her face._

"_You too Hikari," said Sora, "Why haven't I seen you around?"_

_Hikari threw a frown at Taichi causing him to sink deeper into the couch, "I've been really sick so it was dangerous for me to leave the house, my parents have been having me home schooled but I'm all better now. Didn't Taichi tell you any of this?"_

"_No, he failed to mention it," said Sora sternly throwing another sharp look at Taichi who by now was wriggling in his seat while Hojo just smirked and attempted to look innocent for the two girls. She turned back to Hikari and smiled, "Well now you can come over and spend some time with me and Mimi, it'll be good for Mimi and I to have more girl friends."_

_Hikari looked surprised but pleased, "yes I would like that very much." _

_Sora felt herself glow on the inside; this was great, now she had two new friends and she had a very good feeling about the friendship that was to come. _

Sora smiled as she remembered that faithful day that had changed everything for her. Those two girls became her best friends and two of the most important people in her life. Things had been difficult in the beginning, Mimi having had no friends was unsure how to act around people but her sincere attitude made everything better. Her smile turned to a frown, now that she thought about that day, Mimi's suspicious behavior and the mysterious voice and the strange blue eyes came to mind. She had never gotten a chance to ask Mimi about it, it never seemed to be the right time; she kept procrastinating until it faded from her mind completely. She now noticed that Mimi's strange behavior had occurred over the years but she never thought much of it.

She couldn't dwell on the matter any further because they had reached the supermarket. They had entered the changing room when Sora's thoughts turned to Taichi. She shook her head angrily, couldn't he tell how much anxiety and worry he caused with his reckless behavior? He and his stupid missions were going to get him killed and she didn't think that they could bear it. She couldn't wait for him to come back then the four of them could finally leave this pathetic city. If Jyou, Hojo and Kyo wanted to stay in this filthy place then they were welcome to but she knew that Jyou too was saving up to leave. She knew that Taichi didn't want to leave because he thought he was needed here so Hojo and Kyo were stubbornly refusing to leave. She had to convince them to come with her but if she can't then she had to get her, Taichi, Mimi and Hikari out. She shook her head tiredly and walked out of the changing room, ready to serve a group of waiting customers.

* * *

Taichi ducked a beam of light swept over his head, pressing his back against a wall. He pulled out his night vision goggles and snapped them onto his head before pulling out a walky-talky with a small screen on it. He switched it on and the screen danced to life showing a man with red hair neatly swept aside from his face.

"Well done Taichi, you're there! Now we just have to wait for her to arrive," said the man with an exuberant grin on his face, for him, his plan had just fallen perfectly into place.

Taichi pressed his face to the mouthpiece and spoke softly, "I don't know about this Koushiro. There are demons everywhere! They must know about her, what are we going to do? This whole plan is going to go wrong, it's only a matter of time before they find me and even if they don't, how are we going to get to her first?"

Koushiro cursed angrily under his breath, there goes his brilliant plan, and said, "but how did they know?"

Taichi smirked before speaking in a Darth Vader voice, "They must have felt a disturbance in the force."

"This is no time for jokes Taichi!" snapped Koushiro. He took a couple of deep breaths, he brain working in over drive. He frowned, "Don't worry; you have plenty of back up so you'll be fine. Kyo has already reached his spot so just stay quiet and be patient, don't try anything rash and you'll be fine. Keep your guns loaded and remember what I've said about not doing anything stupid."

Taichi rolled his eyes, "when have I done anything stupid?"

Koushiro's frown deepened, "What did I say about jokes? Remember Taichi we have to get her, she's our only hope and if they get her then we are dead, literally! Without her we are screwed so try not to mess up. Okay, I have to go so good luck; I have to discover how the demons found out about her."

"Over and out," replied Taichi sourly, Koushiro's snappy attitude had ruined his mood; why was everyone on the edge today and did they all lose their sense of humor too? He scanned his surroundings, a deep frown etched into his handsome features. He sighed deeply and shoved himself into a hole in the wall, made himself comfortable and settled down to wait.

A/N: Oooooooooooh! Whose Mimi's guardian angel and what's with her suspicious behavior? Who is that mysterious 'her' that Taichi and Koushiro refer to and what exactly is Taichi up to? Why did everyone move to the city in the first place? And most importantly how does the demon plan to make Mimi his? That and lots of Mimato to coming up in the next few chapters! Everyone who reads this better review because if you want the questions answered then you better review! The next chapter is coming up soon. 


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